Hudhud: HPCL refinery yet to restart

“All process units of the refinery were shut down in time just before the cyclone Hudhud hit the city. Though the units were shut down safely, the refinery suffered significant damages due to the heavy wind in cooling towers and extensive damage to sheeting in the roof and walls of compressor sheds, lift enclosures in units, workshop, warehouse; damage to insulation of equipment, piping, tanks; damage to lighting structures and fittings; collapse of boundary wall at many locations; damage to off shore tanker terminal where crude is recei-ved in smaller tankers,” said an HPCL representative.

He said that while action is underway to repair the damages due to the cyclone, all out efforts are being made to re-commission the refinery facilities towards restoring normalcy. Utility systems like steam, instrument air, cooling water (partial), have already been restored.

The first process unit start-up has commenced. Start-up of all the process units is expected to be achieved at the earliest.

Visakhapatnam Port Trust (VPT) informed that repair of OSTT would take a long time. Hence, the crude is proposed to be received using the alternative facility upon carrying out necessary integrity checks. Water supply from GVMC has only partially been restored; full water supply is essential before refinery can attain full production. Though the cooling towers have been made functional, the operation is only partial.